BLACKHAWKS BITS

Chris Chelios has yet to take the ice for the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference finals against the Blackhawks and former teammate Jeremy Roenick believes there's an underlying reason.

"The coach [Mike Babcock] just doesn't like him for some ungodly known reason," Roenick said Thursday on Comcast SportsNet's "Monsters in the Morning". "I think he's got a grudge against American players, but he does not like Cheli at all.

"I don't know if it's a hatred because hate is a strong word, but there is some underlying issue there that I don't understand. ... Sometimes it's just the verbal stuff that goes back and forth from what I understand. Cheli will never complain."

Roenick, who plays for the San Jose Sharks, was Chelios' teammate on the Hawks for six seasons in 1990s.

"I don't know what JR is talking about," Chelios said. " Mike North, he and JR are buddies ... anything to dig up something against the Red Wings. I don't know anything about it. I'll call JR and ask him what he said, but he probably won't even remember."

Babcock, a Canadian whose two youngest kids were born in the U.S., said he barely knows Roenick.

"I think my relationship with Cheli is a good one," Babcock said. "It's based on, I think, respect. I'm a huge fan of Cheli's, so I don't know what else to say. I think (Roenick) must have some time off, does he?"

Roenick does, as his Presidents' Trophy winning Sharks lost in Round 1. "Oh, Jeremy," said the Wings' Brett Lebda, a defenseman from Buffalo Grove. "He likes to stir the pot and be controversial. Babs gave me my shot -- he's a big reason I'm in the league."

Limping: Pavel Datsyuk did not practice Thursday in Detroit with the Red Wings because of a foot injury and is considered day-to-day.

Babcock revealed a lineup change: Kirk Maltby, a 36-year-old winger, who has been a healthy scratch for three games.

"We expect 'Malts' to do a good job on the wall for us," Babcock said. " Babcock did not say who was coming out of the lineup.

One-timers: The Hawks announced the second annual "Blackhawks Convention" from July 17-19 is sold out. ... Duncan Keith, Nikolai Khabibulin, Sammy Pahlsson and Matt Walker didn't practice on Thursday but coach Joel Quenneville said they would play in Game 3.